Please Don't Get Married?
by YuYuFanatic14
Summary: UK version of the Office. Tim's asking Dawn to marry him, and Gareth is crushed. Eventual GT.
1. Chapter 1

Yeah, it's been a long time since I've posted a story on here, but I figured, hey why not? As you can see, I've gotten into yet another fandom. I don't like how it starts, really, but I like where it's going in my notebook, so I figured I'd post. Hope you like.

We know I don't own anything, so why bother saying it?

* * *

It started as a normal day at the office, minus the fact that Tim and Gareth hadn't annoyed each other all day. That confused Gareth a little, but it just made it easier to bring up the question he wanted to ask. 

Despite his constant protests at being gay, his annoying desk mate had grown on him, and he had finally, reluctantly, allowed Tim a place in his heart. He had been thinking of asking the other man out, and he had finally gathered up enough courage to.

When it reached the end of the day and they still had barely talked, Gareth decided to ask the question. Better then than never.

He tapped Tim on the shoulder, heart pounding in nervousness.

"Um… Tim? Would you- what's up with you?"

The other man was staring off into space with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Tim blinked a few times and focused on Gareth. "Hmm? Oh- I was just thinking how best to phrase a question for Dawn."

"What're you asking her?"

Tim grinned proudly. "I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Oh.

For a split second, Gareth lost control of his expression and a look of pain flitted across his features before he could school them into indifference.

"You think she'll say yes?"

"Why wouldn't she? If she does, would you come to the wedding?"

With only a second of hesitation, Gareth nodded. "Yeah, I would. Good luck, mate."

-

That night at home, Gareth contemplated what that afternoon's events meant to him.

When he relived that short conversation between him and Tim, a cold feeling twisted in his stomach. The first time, the _bloody first time_ he let somebody into his head and heart, they had to break it before anything even _started_. It felt like betrayal, but worse, since Tim hadn't even known he was doing it.

Why? What was so bad about him that made people not want to be with him? He wasn't overweight, he didn't look _that_ bad, he thought. But… Tim _had_ made fun of him for his appearance before. But now what? If Tim was getting married, then did he go through all of that worrying over whether he was gay or not for nothing? If he went to the wedding, would he be able to sit there and watch him and Dawn exchange words of love he'd be lucky to hear outside of dreams and insincere porn?

…No. I wouldn't. But… I still love him. There's something wrong with that, isn't there? He doesn't love me, and the sooner I accept that, the sooner I'll get over it. What kind of friend would I be to not feel happy for him for getting married?

Gareth nodded, proud of that sentiment, and went into the shower to try and relax.

-

He eyed the razor carefully. Did he really want to? It was dangerous, but he hated how he kept thinking of Tim.

Taking a deep breath, he drew the razor across his wrist slowly, and, seeing a line of red, did it twice more quickly, wincing at the pain. He watched the blood drip off his arm and down the drain, more coming to replace what was washed away.

Suddenly, after a minute of watching this, he remembered that he had to stop the bleeding so he didn't bleed to death. It wasn't hard to do, and he then went to bed, though it took almost an hour before he could fall asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, no reviews so far. That's okay. Here's chapter two. Now, I know I'm screwing up the timeline in here, as you'll soon find out, but that's for two reasons. One, the only way I've seen the Office up till now is from YouTube clips, since I don't have the DVD yet. Two, this scene was just so good (at least in my opinion) that I had to use it, 'cause it worked so well for this story.

And just a random note- after the...fourth mini line-thing, that scene is the thing that started the whole story. It's weird. This is the second story in a row that I plan out a scene that doesn't start out a story that makes me want to write a story for it. (But the thing is, it's hard to come up with a beginning sometimes, so it sucks until I get to the original scene and I can get into the plot. I hate introducing stories.)

Anyway, I'll shut up and let you read.

* * *

The next day at work, Gareth ignored Tim as best he could unless he absolutely _needed_ to talk to him, and thankfully, Tim didn't talk about the marriage.

For most of the day, this worked well, but then, when it was within half an hour of the end of the day, Tim reached into his pocket and took out a small box.

"Gareth," he whispered. "I want to show you something."

"What is it?"

"I got a ring for Dawn."

Gareth looked over at Tim, eyes wide. "You did?"

"Yeah. Look." He opened the box carefully to show a simple ring- just a gold band with a small crystal at the top- but it was pretty.

"You just got that yesterday?"

"No, I got it 'bout a week ago, when I was sure I was going to ask her. Think I might do it today, after work. Y'know, like take her out to dinner or something, then ask her."

Gareth nodded, looking away. "Great. Congratulations. Tell me how it goes tomorrow, yeah?"

Tim nodded and put the box away, glancing over at Dawn, a smile on his face. Gareth sighed and went back to his work, absentmindedly scratching his cuts.

-

At the end of work, he saw Tim and Dawn leave together, and he tried his best to ignore the twinge in his chest. He would be happy for Tim. That's what was proper. Besides, Tim wasn't gay. He would have gotten his heart broken anyway.

-

That night he reopened the cuts, as he had been thinking about Tim again, and was feeling jealous. Jealousy was wrong.

"By now he's probably asked her, and she's probably said yes, and they're at home planning it all out," he said to himself as he sat on the bathroom tile, watching the blood drip down his arm.

What was I thinking? At least I didn't ask him, or I'd've made a right fool of myself.

He got up, cleaned up the blood, and then went to sleep.

-

The next day at work started out rather nicely. Tim didn't mention anything about the wedding, much to Gareth's relief. He put his attention solely to his work, ignoring Tim as best he could.

-

Tim glanced up from his work to ask Gareth something when he noticed three odd red lines across the other man's wrist.

"Um, Gareth… why d'you have cuts on your wrist?"

Gareth glanced down for a moment, then went back to his work and shrugged. "Hate myself and can't afford not to eat or something like that. It'd get in the way of work."

Tim blinked. "I see." A pause. Tim stood up. "I'm telling David."

Gareth grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down.

"No you're not."

Tim stood up again. "Yes, I am."

Gareth pulled him down again. "No, you're not. Why would you do that?"

"Because it's not healthy."

"Since when d'you care 'bout me?"

"What kind of question is that? And it's never a good thing when somebody says they hate themselves."

"Y'know, it _is _possible that I could be joking."

Tim suddenly got an idea and put a concerned look on his face. "Gareth, you're bleeding."

Gareth's eyes widened and he brought up his wrist to look at it. "Really?"

"No. And you just proved my point."

Gareth glared. "You still won't tell David."

Tim sighed. "At least tell me why?"

"No."

"Is it because of me asking Dawn to marry me?"

"No. Why would I care? I never had interest in her."

"Then what is it?"

Gareth didn't answer, so Tim finally gave up and went back to his work.

- (Note: The following scene does not belong to me. I just transcribed it (terribly) from a clip on youtube. Some parts are omitted or changed- most changes are on purpose or simply because I couldn't tell what the hell they were saying.)

Later that afternoon, Tim looked up from his computer. "Gareth, you know I'm doing kisses for a pound?"

"I wouldn't."

"I know. I put a pound in for you?"

Gareth turned to look at him. "Hmm?"

"I put a pound in so you'd kiss me."

Why did he have to be doing this now? Didn't he have an almost wife to be doing this with?

"I wouldn't kiss you if you paid me." Not true, but it had to be said.

"Well, I am paying, Gareth, it's quite simple. Now remember, it's for charity, so-"

While he was talking, Tim had stood up and walked around the back of Gareth's chair, and then leaned in, trying to get a kiss. Gareth quickly pulled away.

"You're such a bender. Get off of me."

"No I'm not-"

"Get off!"

"I'm not getting off."

"I'm not kissing you, I'm not putting a pound in."

"Well, I'm gonna put a pound in."

"You're such a pervert. Dirty little pervert."

"I'm not a pervert."

"I hope that your girlfriend knows that you're gay, 'cause otherwise she's gonna get a big surprise."

Finally, after a few more seconds of struggling, (even though he didn't want to, though he wouldn't admit _that_ to anybody,) Tim backed off.

"You take things too far," Gareth muttered.

After a few seconds of silence, Gareth thought that it was over. Then, without warning, Tim quickly leaned in and captured his lips for a few seconds before Gareth could push him away.

"I didn't kiss him back," Gareth protested when he had recovered from the kiss. He knew he would be daydreaming about it later, but at the moment, all he could think about was denying he had enjoyed the brief kiss at all.

But God, those lips…

Gareth got up and left the office. He needed space to think.

Tim was getting _married_. It was totally inappropriate for him to feel this way! But it was so tempting to imagine of what would have happened if he had kissed back…

No! Bad Gareth! Get back to work and forget about this. It's just Tim being himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, so I got my first review. Yeah, I don't see Gareth as that type either, but I'm trying it out to see how it goes. It's a bit of a shorter chapter, but I hope you guys like it anyway.

* * *

The next day, Gareth had a new cut on his wrist.

At their lunch break, Tim sat next to Dawn, looking glum.

"What's wrong?" Dawn asked.

"Gareth cut himself again," Tim replied. "I didn't want that to happen."

"Maybe you can talk to him?"

"I already tried that. He's too stubborn to listen."

"You have to tell him when the wedding is."

Tim sighed. "I know, but I don't want him to get even _more_ upset." He rubbed his forehead. "I'll tell him after work, while we're leaving. But," he paused again. "What if he doesn't get over it by the time the date comes around?"

"He will. Don't worry."

-

Gareth was still where Tim had left him five minutes ago after telling him the date of the marriage. It was final. Tuesday they were taking off work and getting married. A bit soon, he thought, but that was their choice. Besides, it didn't matter. He had lost his chance. It had taken him too long to get up the courage to ask Tim, and he had lost him.

He kept his head down as he went to his car, so no one could see the tears in his eyes.

-

He barely slept that night. He just lay there, awake, thinking about Tim, occasionally letting himself cry, constantly hating the way he was acting. Crying like a girl over a broken heart.

…But it was a broken heart. It made sense for it to hurt, didn't it? And maybe it hurt so much because he had never let it happen before. He just wanted someone to love him. Was that so much to ask?

-

"He doesn't look like he's taking this very well," Tim said to Dawn the next day when they saw Gareth come in the office.

He obviously hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before, but he still was doing his best to get into work on time.

But what was sad was that he was still trying to be his normal, over-confident, cocky self. To others, it would look completely normal, but the others didn't know him as well as Tim did. (Being his desk-mate and all.) He just wasn't putting his heart into being annoying, from Tim's perspective.

"Dawn, maybe we should rethink this," he said, watching Gareth concernedly.

"Not yet. Give him just a little more time."

"I don't want him to do something stupid over the weekend."

Dawn sighed. "Then check up on him and make sure he's fine. He's not the type to kill himself, Tim."

"He's crazy enough to."

"He won't. He'll talk to you before he does anything like that. Trust me."

"But how do you know?"

"I just do. Now get back to your desk."

Tim did so, still not believing Dawn. He wouldn't trust her implicitly with something this important.

"So, Gareth… Doing alright?"

The skinnier man nodded. "Doin' fine. Yourself?"

"Good."

"Good."

After that, they mostly stayed quiet as they did their work.

-

By the end of the day, the awkward silence was driving Tim crazy. He followed Gareth out of the building and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Can we talk?"

Gareth nodded, looking confused. "Yeah. What is it?"

"I just want to let you know… I'm here for you, if you want to talk."

Gareth stayed quiet for a moment, searching Tim's eyes for a hint of mockery. When he found none, he gave a small smile.

"Thanks, mate. That really means a lot." With that, he turned and left.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, I'm finally back. :) I was at my grandma's, if I didn't already say, but I got two pages written there, so this should be a good length chapter for you all. Thank you very much to those that reviewed. I hope you like this chapter too.

* * *

At last, it was the weekend. Saturday morning. He could daydream all weekend about what could have happened if he had gathered up the courage to ask Tim out earlier.

He didn't know how long he had been lying on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, before there was a knock at the door.

He was surprised (and maybe even a little nervous) to see Tim at the door.

"Hey, umm… what're you doing here?" he asked, trying to act calm.

Tim shrugged. "Just wanted to see how you're doing. Can I come in?"

"Could you not?"

"Are you in the middle of something?"

Gareth blushed. "Course not. Jus' don't want you coming into my apartment, is all."

"Why? What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing. Just…" Gareth sighed. "Seriously. What did you come for?"

"…Wanted to make sure you weren't hurting yourself again."

"I won't. Promise."

"You sure you won't? 'Cause you looked upset before."

"I'm fine. I swear."

Gareth could tell Tim didn't believe him, so he held out his wrists.

"No new cuts, you see? They don't look like they've been bleedin' recently, right? I promise I'm not gonna hurt myself anymore."

"So you're okay with me and Dawn, then."

"Well, no, but it's not like I can just ask you to-"

"Hold up there, Gareth. So you're _not _okay with us getting married?"

"I should be."

"But are you?"

Gareth hesitated. "…No, I'm not."

"Why aren't you?" Tim asked, crossing his arms.

"I can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"'Cause it's nothing that'll matter to you."

"How d'you know that? You don't really know me that well, Gareth."

"I know you put my stapler in jelly and love to annoy me all the time."

"You annoy me back." Tim paused as he realized they were getting off topic. "Just answer the question. Why aren't you okay with me and Dawn getting married?"

Gareth stayed silent for a few moments, thinking over whether he should answer or not.

"Is it because you fancy one of us?"

"We've gone over this. I don't fancy Dawn!"

"She's not the only one getting married, Gareth."

Gareth stared at him for a moment before turning and going back into the apartment and shut the door.

"'M not a bender!" he yelled angrily at Tim.

"Oh my God… Gareth, stop being such a twat and open the door!"

When that didn't work, Tim sighed and tried a gentler voice.

"Gareth, I just want to know how you feel about this whole business. Let me in, and I promise I'll listen, and I won't laugh at you."

There were a few moments of silence, then Gareth finally opened the door, looking at Tim carefully.

"Alright, but if you do, I'll have to kill you," he said. Ignoring Tim's incredulous look, he continued on, quite seriously. "I know how to, too. You just-"

Tim held up a hand. "I don't want to know, Gareth. Just let me in."

The skinnier man did so, and the two went to sit on the couch in front of the TV.

"Okay, so is this whole mess about me?" Tim asked, rather bluntly.

Gareth hesitated before giving a noncommittal shrug. "I guess."

Tim rolled his eyes. "Is it or isn't it, Gareth?"

Not meeting his eyes, Gareth nodded.

"And you haven't told me this yet- why, exactly?"

"Because I thought that you'd laugh at me, and because you said you were marrying Dawn."

"So what is it you want to say now?"

Gareth lowered his head and mumbled something so quietly Tim couldn't catch a word.

"Repeat that?"

"Please don't get married?" Gareth asked again, looking up at Tim desperately.

"Okay."

Gareth frowned. "That's it? That was too easy."

"Well, I _could_ have made it harder for you, but it took you too long as it is, and I felt bad."

Gareth rolled his eyes. "Shut up. I _meant,_ so you're just going to give up on Dawn, easy as that?"

"I was never going to marry Dawn, Gareth."

Gareth stared at him in disbelief. "This was all just some sort of prank?"

"I prefer the term 'grand scheme,' and you getting all emotional and cutting yourself wasn't part of the original plan-"

"Shut up! You just played another prank on me!"

"But I'm serious this time."

"Then what was up with all that 'I'm going to marry Dawn' business?"

"She came up with that, actually. I told her I liked you, and she somehow knew you liked me, we just weren't telling each other. You took longer than we hoped to come around, and that was with prodding."

Gareth looked confused. "What if I hadn't said anything by the time the day of the wedding came around?"

Tim looked embarrassed and looked away. "I… hadn't planned for that. I thought you'd say what you thought right away, like you usually do."

"I see. So… what happens now? Do I, like, kiss you or something?"

Tim shrugged. "I dunno. I guess so."

Gareth nodded, leaned forward slowly, and gently pressed his lips to Tim's, his eyes closing. After a few moments, he pulled away and opened his eyes, looking a little embarrassed.

"Was… was that bad?" he asked uncertainly, as Tim hadn't responded yet.

Tim blinked a few times, coming back to himself. "No, not at all. Um… You've waited _how_ long to do that, exactly?"

Gareth shrugged. "Dunno. Too long. Can I do it again?"

"If you want to- mmph!"

Gareth leaned forward quickly, pressing his lips to Tim's, pushing him backwards so he was lying on top.

After a few seconds of a desperate feeling kiss, Gareth pulled back slowly, searching Tim's eyes carefully for any sign of betrayal. If the other man said it was a joke this late in the game…

Tim stared, wide-eyed at Gareth.

"Wow."

"Sorry 'bout that," Gareth mumbled, quickly getting off of Tim. "Got a little carried away."

"That's fine by me. Get as carried away as you like," Tim replied, sitting up.

Gareth blushed. "No, it's okay. Now," he swallowed nervously. "You got what you came for, yeah? Or… did you want to do something else before you went home?"

Tim frowned. "Gareth, what are you talking about? You still think I'm lying to you?"

Gareth ducked his head. "Well, yeah… a little… I mean- just listen, will you?" he said, as Tim looked like he was going to interject something. "How would you feel if a guy you liked, or girl, whatever, had been treating you the way you treated me, said they were _getting married_, and then suddenly they come in and say they like you. Would you believe them right away? 'M not gullible."

Tim rolled his eyes. "Gareth… let's get a few things straight here. One, I _do_ like you, two, I do _not_ want to just use you for my wants, and three, I am _not_ marrying Dawn. Now will you _relax_, already?"

Gareth hesitated before nodding. "Prob'ly a good idea."

"Answer me something," Tim said suddenly. "Does this make us going out?"

"…I _was_ going to ask you the day you told me you were getting married."

Tim cursed softly and put his hands over his face. "So all of this could have been avoided if I had kept my mouth shut?"

"Probably."

Tim cursed again.

"But it's okay. I mean, I don't know how dating a bloke works, but we can work it out. As long as we don't tell anybody about it, it'll be fine."

Tim was slightly annoyed at Gareth for wanting to keep secrets, but he understood the other man's desire to keep it quiet.

"Fine, we can keep it secret. But what do you want to do now?"

Gareth seemed to tense. "What d'you mean?"

"I dunno, do you want to sit here and keep kissing each other, or do you want to talk?"

"Talk," Gareth said, and tentatively sat closer to Tim on the couch.

"So… does this mean we're going to live with each other now?" he asked.

"Maybe we could just… get to know each other first," Tim suggested.

Gareth nodded. "That'd be okay. Treat it like a normal relationship, then."

"No reason not to."

"Just no kissing in public and such."

"Yes, Gareth. I already agreed to that. Relax."

"Sorry, I'm just a little nervous because I'm trying to plan out a relationship with a bloke, which I was always told not to do!"

Tim frowned. Gareth was getting wound up too easy. Maybe he was too stressed out.

"Hey, calm down. No reason to be nervous. I said we'd keep it a secret."

Gareth took a deep breath and nodded, rubbing his hands over his face. "'M sorry."

"It's okay, you don't have to be." Tim put an arm around Gareth's shoulders. "I get it. You don't want people to think you're gay."

"'Cause it's not respectable," Gareth muttered.

"You can be respectable and gay, Gareth."

When the other man didn't respond, Tim rolled his eyes. "Fine. I won't bring it up again. Just calm down… and I can go home."

"Don't," Gareth said suddenly, and Tim looked at him in surprise.

"Don't?"

Gareth blushed lightly. "I… don't want to be alone…"

Tim's expression softened into a comforting smile and he kissed Gareth gently on the cheek. "I'll stay."


	5. Chapter 5

I know it's kinda short, but I really wanted to get something up today. I hope you guys like it anyway.

* * *

Tim ended up staying until late in the afternoon, not doing much besides talking with Gareth. Not about anything important, just casual conversation. And he didn't mind. It was surprisingly… fun.

When it got to be about six, Gareth glanced at the clock anxiously.

"Did you want to stay for the night?" he asked tentatively.

Tim thought that over. "You wouldn't mind?"

Gareth shook his head. "Couldn't be that bad. You can have the bed."

"Nah, it's yours."

"You're the guest."

"Either you take it, or we both sleep in it," Tim said, crossing his arms.

Gareth stared at him. "Are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You want to sleep in a bed with me?"

"Better than sleeping on the couch or the floor."

Gareth rolled his eyes but didn't continue to protest. Tim being in his bed wouldn't bother him at all. As long as there was no cuddling and such. He wanted to, (though he wouldn't admit that to Tim,) but it was a little early in the relationship for that. (A little too early for sleeping in the same bed, but he wasn't going to complain.)

It was hard to find Tim clothes to sleep in, as Gareth was considerably smaller, but they eventually found a large t-shirt and pair of shorts that fit, and they got changed.

After a simple dinner, they sat in front of the TV, not really watching, just trying to fill in the awkward silence they felt. They both had things they wanted to say, they just weren't sure how to say them.

After ten minutes of silence between them, Gareth laid his head on Tim's shoulder.

"Thanks, mate," he said softly. Tim smiled and put an arm around Gareth's waist.

"No problem."

After a few moments of silence, Gareth pulled back slightly to look at Tim inquisitively. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Well, it's more like two somethings, actually… first, when you found out about the cutting thing, why'd you say you'd tell David? He couldn't have done anything."

"I know. I guess I wasn't thinking. That was just the first thing that came to mind. If David was the kind of boss he was _supposed_ to be, it would have mattered."

Gareth nodded. "And- about the ring. How come you got it if you weren't going to marry Dawn? Or did you just borrow your mum's?"

"It's not my mum's."

"Then…" Gareth paused. "You're giving it to me?"

"Probably."

"You want to get married to me?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Tim looked over at Gareth, who was staring at him, wide-eyed.

"What's wrong?"

"The first person who says that to me is a guy," Gareth said miserably. "Does that mean there's something wrong with me?"

"Of course not, Gareth," Tim said quickly, frowning. "Does gender really matter? If I was a woman, would you still like me?"

Gareth stayed quiet for a moment. "If you still acted the same, probably. And if you looked good," he added as an afterthought.

Tim rolled his eyes. "See? It's mostly the personality."

"I guess."

"If you're so upset about it, then why did you want to get together with me? Were you just going to quit in the middle?"

"No…" Gareth now looked like he regretted saying anything. "I was just thinking about it, and it felt odd. 'M not gonna quit on you, Tim."

Tim pulled Gareth close to him again and smiled.

"That's good to know."

-

Gareth felt a little tense when Tim first got in the bed with him, but he had the sense not to show it. It was never a good idea to show weakness.

Tim let him get into a comfortable position before putting his arms around him, and Gareth felt his heart speed up a little as Tim got comfortable. He smiled and closed his eyes, a warm feeling filling his chest.

Tim fell asleep rather quickly, while Gareth spent a while staying awake. However, this time, it wasn't because he _couldn't_ sleep. He was savoring the contact between him and Tim.

It was a bit strange, he thought, all the events of the day. He was a little annoyed at Tim for having played that trick on him, but everything had worked out, and he felt happy.

The only thing still bothering him was the fact that they had to keep the whole affair secret. That wasn't a problem for him, but he didn't trust Tim. So he'd keep a close eye on Tim at work. They'd be fine.

It was with those thoughts that Gareth fell asleep, grateful that the next day was still the weekend.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you for the nice reviews, sorry the chapter took so long- I've been a little busy. The chapter jumps around quite a bit, but the next one will most likely be more straightforward. Hope you like this one.

* * *

Gareth woke up the next morning to his mobile phone ringing.

Grumbling, he picked it up from the bedside table and looked at the number. It wasn't one he recognized…

"Gareth Keenan?" he said quietly, so as to not wake Tim.

"Do you know where Tim is?"

Gareth frowned. He didn't recognize the voice, but it sounded like an older woman.

"Are you his mum?"

"_Do you know where he is?_" she sounded desperate.

"Yeah, he's right here with me."

There was a sigh of relief. "Thank you. He didn't call to say where he was last night."

Oh. Gareth had forgotten Tim still lived with his parents.

"How'd you get my number?"

"It was on a slip of paper in one of his shirt pockets. We assumed it was a girlfriend…"

Gareth blushed lightly. "Sorry?"

"No, it's alright. Is he asleep?"

"Not anymore." The tired reply came from behind Gareth as Tim sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Gareth, you need to stop putting it on speakerphone… who're you talking to?"

"Your mum."

Tim groaned. "Can I talk to her?"

Gareth handed him the phone and Tim flipped it open, shutting off speakerphone.

"Hi… no, I'm not. No, he's not. Yeah, I will. Bye."

He snapped the phone shut and glanced over at Gareth.

"What'd she say?"

"She asked if I was in your bed, and if you were a boyfriend. I said no to both."

Gareth nodded. "Thanks. What'd she ask you to do?"

"She wants me to come home and bring you."

"For the whole day?"

Tim shrugged. "I dunno. But I have to stay there tonight anyway. We have work tomorrow."

"You could bring clothes and stuff here."

Tim sighed. "Gareth, if I don't stay there tonight, she's going to start getting suspicious."

"She's suspicious now," Gareth retorted.

"Yes, I know, but I shouldn't make it harder than it needs to be."

"…Fine. Let's get up and shower and such. You can have first."

"Come in with me."

Gareth stared at him. "You're joking."

Tim grinned. "Yeah, I am. For now." He left, and Gareth shook his head.

"He's mad…"

-

Once they had both showered and gotten ready, they went outside to Tim's car.

"Would you mind taking the bus back?" Tim asked. "I have to take my care home, and I want you to come with me."

"Wouldn't it be kind of odd if we both come in the same car? I'll come in mine."

Tim rolled his eyes but relented.

-

The day crawled by achingly slow. Gareth felt a little awkward around Tim's parents, vaguely reminding him of being a teenager and meeting a (rare) girlfriend's parents.

They spent some time asking him about what he did at work and how he got along with Tim, then sent him and Tim upstairs so they could make lunch.

"They treat you like a kid, Tim," Gareth noted, once the door to Tim's room had closed.

Tim sighed. "Yeah. Not all the time, though. Just when I have friends over."

"So you don't bring them over?"

"Not when I can help it."

They sat in silence for a minute before Tim glanced at the door. "D'you want to kiss?"

Gareth shrugged. "Wouldn't it be easier to just tell them? I mean, I don't want to, but I don't like feeling like a teenager again, and they _are_ your parents."

"…I will at lunch."

"Tim, bring your friend down!"

"Get ready, Gareth. It might be kid food again."

-

"So, Tim, how are you and your boyfriend doing?"

Tim and Gareth froze at the unexpected question.

"Mum, I never said-"

"I know, but it's painfully obvious. You treat him well, Tim." She glanced Gareth over. "And make sure to feed him. Awfully skinny."

By now, both men were looking extremely uncomfortable.

"Mum… you're embarrassing me."

-

Tim's parents ended up letting him go back to Gareth's for the night, much to both men's mutual enjoyment.

-

Before they entered the office the next day, Gareth reminded Tim yet again to not do anything too suspicious on camera, making the other man roll his eyes in exasperation.

"_Yes_, Gareth, I know. You've told me that at least three times this morning. I'll behave."

Gareth ignored his sarcasm and entered the office.

Things were pretty uneventful until lunch. Dawn came over to Tim and Gareth, who were sitting together.

"So, how did the weekend go?" she asked, sitting down.

"Great, actually," Tim replied. "We got together."

Dawn smiled. "Lovely. How do you like it, Gareth?"

Gareth hesitated, then shrugged. "It's nice…"

"What have you done so far?"

"Not really your business."

"Just kissing," Tim said, disregarding Gareth's shocked expression.

"Tim! You don't say that! What if _they_ hear you?"

Tim rolled his eyes. "My microphone's off, Gareth. And even if it was on, they're not always listening. David keeps them busy enough."

Dawn laughed softly at Gareth's anxiousness, making him glare at her.

"It's not funny!" he said indignantly. "If they hear it, they'll put it on the air, and that'd be _past_ humiliating!"

Tim shook his head, putting an arm around Gareth's shoulders.

"Relax, will you? We'll be fine." He checked to make sure there were no cameras, then kissed Gareth quickly on the cheek.

Gareth glared but said nothing.


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, I'm sorry this took a while and it's kinda short, but I've been having massive writer's block and I've been feeling down. I hope you guys like the chapter anyway, though.

* * *

The rest of Monday and Tuesday went by without incident. Tim stayed at his parents for the nights, but he and Gareth were planning to have him move in to the apartment that weekend.

Since it was Wednesday, they were going out to Chasers. The work day passed by quickly, and the members of the office proceeded to the club, followed by the ever-present cameras.

David didn't seem to mind when Gareth told him he wouldn't be drinking with him and Finch, so Gareth and Tim went to a table at the other end of the club. Thankfully, no cameras followed, and Tim felt no qualms about kissing Gareth.

Though, since Gareth was too nervous to kiss when there was someone near their table, they ended up just talking.

Tim was grateful for the chance to talk to Gareth and learn what he was actually like. They shared stories of their childhoods, things that used to scare them, secrets about their parents… and Tim could tell Gareth was enjoying finally being able to open up.

-

About an hour into the evening, Finch was getting bored with David and decided to get up and look around the club for girls. What he didn't expect to see was Tim and Gareth at a table in the corner, kissing. He stood there, staring, for a few moments.

Gareth opened his eyes slowly, widening them as he noticed Finch. Tim's glance followed his, and he tried to remain calm.

Finch turned around and headed back to his table for another drink and to think about what he had just seen.

He had gold. He saw those two bloody making out in public. That'd be great for a few jokes.

-

Tim looked over at Gareth worriedly. The skinnier man was still staring, wide-eyed at where Finch had been, his breath speeding up.

"Gareth, calm down. It's okay."

Gareth shook his head. "He saw, Tim! And now he'll tell David, and then they'll bring it up at work so it gets put on TV, and-"

Tim could see him getting more and more worked up, and finally put a hand over his mouth to make him shut up.

"Don't get upset, Gareth. He'll want you to."

"I know," Gareth replied, the words muffled beneath Tim's hand. "But what if he does tell David?"

"We'll deal with that when it comes."

Gareth frowned, obviously unhappy with the answer, but nodded.

-

That night, as they were settling in for bed, Tim noticed Gareth was being quieter than usual.

"Still thinking about Chasers?"

Gareth nodded, tucking his head under Tim's chin. "Just a little nervous."

"That's okay. We'll deal with whatever comes tomorrow."

-

When the two entered work the next day, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. None of their fellow workers did more than glance at them. However, rather than letting them relax, this only served to make the two men more suspicious. Finch wasn't the kind of person to let something like that go.

They sat down at their desks, and looked at them carefully. Nothing seemed to be different.

Gareth sighed in relief and opened a drawer- and promptly slammed it back shut.

Tim looked up. "What is it, Gareth?"

Gareth shook his head. "Nothin', just him trying to be funny."

"What'd he do?"

"Nothing, just forget about it."

Tim reached over to try and get to the drawer, but Gareth blocked him.

"Come on, Gareth, stop being stubborn."

Tim finally managed to yank the drawer open to reveal a pair of handcuffs.

"It's no big deal," Gareth insisted, closing the drawer again. "I'll get rid of them after work. If we don't make a fuss about it, maybe he'll stop."

Tim refrained from pointing out how unlikely that was, and instead just nodded. The "gift" wasn't even that insulting. Finch would have to do worse than that if he was going to get a reaction.

-

Later that day, Finch came in, presumably to say hi to David. Tim ignored him, but Gareth couldn't help giving him a glare.

"Is that about the present?" Finch asked. "I thought you'd like it!"

Gareth merely continued to glare. Finch laughed and entered David's office, and Gareth's glare quickly turned into a nervous look. Thankfully, it didn't seem like Finch was telling David anything important, so Gareth returned to his work.


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, first, I want to thank those that reviewed. You guys are awesome. Second, I'm sorry this took nine days, I've just been feeling lousy, but I'm pretty sure the new chapter won't take that long, as I'm feeling a little better and I'm getting some ideas. This is a rather short chapter, and the idea is a bit odd, but I hope you like it anyway.

* * *

Tim sighed, frustrated. "Gareth, would you _please_ stop glancing over there every three seconds?"

Gareth looked back at his work with a muttered 'sorry', but still looked tense.

Tim sighed again, then quickly reached over and patted Gareth's hand before returning to his work.

-

That night, as they were watching TV, Gareth heard his computer beep. He got up and looked at it to see he had an email.

"It's from work," he mumbled, clicking on it. "Hunh."

Tim glanced over at him. "What is it?"

"Work's having a… sleepover tomorrow night. I think it's something for charity again. You want to go?"

"We'll have to be careful."

"I know, just- d'you want to or not?"

Tim shrugged. "Sure, why not. Let's pack some clothes."

-

Gareth lay awake for a while after Tim fell asleep, thinking about the work sleepover. Much as he didn't want to think Finch had influenced it in some way, it was always a good idea to look at situations from all angles.

He sighed, and felt Tim's arms tighten around him.

"Gareth, go to sleep," he murmured.

"I can't. I'm too-" he paused, trying to think of a word. "Not _worried_, just tense."

"Finch?"

"Yeah."

It was Tim's turn to sigh. "You can't let him get to you. Just relax."

Gareth tried to, but his mind refused to slow down. Tim fell asleep again as Gareth continued to lie awake, worrying about the next day.

The next morning, as they got ready for work, Gareth tried not to let it show he'd had lousy sleep. He didn't want to make Tim think he was _really_ nervous about it. And he wasn't. He might be a little bit… tense, but he wasn't nervous. Not at all.

-

When they got to work, Tim stopped at Dawn's desk as Gareth went to his own.

"Are you coming to the sleepover tonight?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, I think so. Are you and Gareth coming?"

Tim nodded. "Yeah. Gareth's a little nervous about it, but we're coming."

"Why's he nervous?"

Tim glanced around to make sure no one was listening before answering.

"Finch gave him a 'present' yesterday after seeing us at Chasers together. Gareth thinks he might have something to do with the sleepover."

"What would he be able to do? Even if the cameras stay, he can't prove anything unless you want him to."

"Exactly. But Gareth won't listen."

"When does he? Go sit down."

"Aw, Gareth, why do we have to stay at the desks? We're here enough during the day."

"Exactly. I like it here."

Tim rolled his eyes. "Fine. Put the blankets down."

-

As the afternoon progressed, the rest from the office came in with blankets and other things. The men who were attending didn't look as excited as the women, Tim noticed.

As expected, David and Finch were attending. Tim glanced over at Gareth.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked. Gareth nodded.

"Of course. I just don't want to be near him."

Tim was about to reply when he heard David start talking. Apparently they all had to sign a list to prove they came, and then the company would give a certain amount per person.

After he and Gareth had signed and gone back to their spot, Tim wondered idly what they would be doing that night. He highly doubted, since they were adults, that they would be doing traditional sleepover activities.

…That being said, he didn't quite understand why the charity event was a sleepover at all.


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you to those that reviewed. You are awesome. I'm not particularly proud of the end for this chapter, but please forgive for sappiness. School's been terrible.

* * *

Later that evening, places to eat and drink were set up and people started to change into looser clothes for sleeping.

Gareth, however, was still in his jeans, and Tim was getting annoyed from trying to persuade him to change.

"You're not sleeping in jeans, Gareth," Tim said firmly. "You can wear boxers for all I care, but not jeans. Here- we brought pants."

Gareth rolled his eyes. "Fine."

He took the offered pants and got up, heading into the bathroom. Nobody noticed Finch as he followed him a minute later.

-

Gareth was leaving the stall just as Finch entered.

"So, how're you liking the sleepover?" Finch asked.

Gareth shrugged, watching Finch carefully. "It's alright. Hasn't been much to do yet."

"Oh? You came with Tim, so I assumed you'd have something to do."

Gareth glared at him. "Shut up."

"David's playing movies later, if you two want to kiss."

"I said shut up." He was about to leave when he felt Finch's body press up against his. He could feel his heart speed up.

"Get off."

"You're going out with Tim. You must have been planning to do this eventually."

Finch's hands started moving around his body, and he tried to pull away in vain. The hands then ventured lower, and Gareth started to panic. He pulled away again, but Finch continued what he was doing.

"If Tim was doing this, you wouldn't mind," Finch said. "So why does it matter if it's anybody else?"

Gareth finally managed to wrench himself from Finch's grasp, and he glared at him.

"What the hell was that about?" he demanded angrily.

When Finch didn't say anything, Gareth quickly left, heading back to where he and Tim had been sitting. Dawn had come over and was talking with Tim. Gareth was grateful for that, as Tim didn't notice him being tense.

-

Later, like Finch had said, a movie was chosen to watch, and the lights were turned down. Tim moved closer to Gareth and tried to put an arm around his waist, but the skinnier man pulled away, glancing nervously in Finch's direction. Tim's gaze followed his, and he frowned.

"Gareth? Did he do something to you?"

Gareth shook his head. "No, I'm okay."

Tim felt a little skeptical, but stayed quiet. After another minute, Gareth moved closer to Tim and laid his head on his shoulder. Tim smiled.

-

About halfway through the movie, Gareth had fallen asleep.

Carefully, so no one would notice, Tim pulled him behind their desks so they could sleep lying next to each other.

In his sleep, Gareth smiled and curled up closer to Tim, and thankfully nobody noticed them for the rest of the night.

-

Sometime in the middle of the night, Tim woke up, as Gareth was being restless. He shook the other man's shoulder, but was not expecting it when Gareth flinched.

"Gareth? You okay?"

Gareth stared at him for a moment, confused, then he sighed shakily in relief.

"Was it a dream?"

Gareth nodded, taking a deep breath, calming himself. "It was about you… You were talking about quitting, because of what Finch was doing, and… no matter what I said, you wouldn't listen…"

Tim frowned. "Quitting work, or-"

"The relationship."

"Ah." Tim didn't like the effect that simply having a dream had on Gareth. Maybe the other man was having doubts about the relationship?

"Gareth… Do _you_ think that it's not going to work? That I'm going to quit on you?"

Gareth shook his head. "No…"

Tim didn't know whether Gareth was lying to him or not, but he didn't care. He was going to do his best to put those fears to rest, regardless if they were already there or if they hadn't arrived yet.

He put his arms around Gareth and kissed him gently.

"I'm not going to quit on you," he whispered. "And that's a promise."

He didn't care what Finch did. He loved Gareth, and he was going to protect him, no matter what.


End file.
